Saturn Return Number One: A very lazy blog entry, filled with everything you'd want to know about my new employment

Ah, listening to Rubber Soul... soooo good.

Anyway, back to the million dollar question -- or questions -- pretty much everyone who emails me only does so to ask about my new job. Fair enough! Here is my I'm-too-lazy-to-write-this-out properly list:

It's a comprehensive academy (for Americans: a 6-12 charter school), with a total of 750 students, very few of whom are in 6th form (for Americans: non-mandatory post-age 16 school)
I teach mostly the "nurture groups" (i.e. special ed groups) in years 7 and 8 (grades 6/7 and 7/8). I teach them English and Social Studies... If I want to modify curriculum, the lessons are all online, but I'm allowed to make up my own lessons if I think it will be better for the kids
My "nurture groups" have between 8 and 14 kids in them, depending on the day and who's getting pulled out for extra support, and there is always at least one teaching aide, usually two, in the room with me...
Imagine every good idea anyone ever had at SDL but with all the funding and staff to make it happen
Imagine an IC with a teacher in there all day and cubicles separating desks so that kids can't see each other!! Also imagine that teacher never being you!!
There's a room called "Fresh Start" for long-term in-house suspensions, with desks, books, computers, etc.There is obviously a teacher who mans this little miracle. And let me repeat, that teacher will never be me!
Imagine, me, enjoying teaching middle school!! Ok, so if you knew me when I worked at North Star Academy in Prospect Heights, this wouldn't be so shocking. But imagine how much better it is now after having taught at SDL for four years!
Imagine kids from all over Africa, Caribbean, Middle East. Throw in a few white Londoners and a few Europeans...
Ok, so now for the downers: I also teach a few random periods a week, like year 11 "Life skills." I'm turning this two hour waste of space into a Pearson project, because I can and because it's more fun...
There is no one my age in the Special Ed department. The teaching aide who most works with me has been there for 25 years, knows everything about how to get supplies, complains almost nonstop, and clearly doesn't always approve of how I do things. She sometimes yells, and I just cringe and pretend I'm not there...
One kid said to me, "You're tough, Ms. White." Another kid said, "no you're not, you're a pushover. You don't even yell." I gave her a lecture on how allowing yourself to get angry and yell gives other people power over you. She stared at me blankly and said, "ok, Ms. White." !!!
I am training my kids to actually call me "Ms. White" by not responding to "Miss." Partly this is my being perverse and stubborn and wanting them to have to do something different for me alone. Partly this is practical as there are always at least two adult women in the class and it's confusing. But it's hard, because even other adults call you Miss. I mean, learn my fucking name, already! You WORK with me!
The school lunch isn't half bad, and it's only $3.50... for you Brits, that's one pound ninety...
My current commute is fucking killer... A subway to a train to a bus... almost two hours each way. I've been getting up between five and five thirty (depending on how badly I want that shower) -- it's been so so so awful! I've been so tired all this week! Imagine me making a frowny face right now...
Hence why I NEED to find a room in a houseshare ASAP. Have emailed a ton of places, hopefully won't be rejected from all of them!